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Blogtoberfest – It all came together!

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Hi everyone!
Today is a follow on from yesterday – as it should be!!
Remember the choice of fabric and pattern made by our Grand daughter?
Well here it is in the making …..
and then here it is all done!!
Needless to say, it was immediately ‘loved’ and whirled and twirled around the house!!  I must admit her selections worked really well and looked gorgeous!!  A lovely, cool, easy to care for style!
Then this afternoon, while she was busy outside, Nanny whipped up a little gathered skirt and our little darling went to bed tonight, a very happy little girl – the simple little pleasures……
It is so special to be able to share these moments together – I am one lucky Nanny!!
Bring on tomorrow!!
Until next time
Nanny xx

Blogtoberfest – Decisions, Decisions

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Hi everyone!

I had a lovely day today taking my Grand daughter shopping for some fabric to make her a dress (I had promised her that she could choose her own fabric and pattern  and that I would make it for her for her birthday).

Well we hit ‘Spotlight’ on the run!! It was such fun watching her ‘frantically’ seeking out that special fabric (everything is at 100 miles an hour) – she decided it had to be purple so that narrowed it down a bit, but it wasn’t long before Nanny’s arms were overflowing with bolts of purple fabric.

I felt really mean when I had to explain that the deal was for a dress – not a whole wardrobe!!!  After recovering from that shock, the little darling amazed me with her decisiveness – Well then I want this one please Nanny! It happened to be the very first one she had chosen!!  Do you think that could be in the female genes?  How many times have you found yourself doing that exact same thing?

I explained that we would go home and that I would wash the fabric and get it out to dry. Why do you have to wash it Nanny? Well I wash it in case it shrinks and sometimes the colour runs so its best to wash it. Then there was quiet ….. Nanny, how do you mean you wash it – before you make the dress or when you make the dress – when does it shrink?  After a confusing few minutes, we realised that her understanding of what Nanny said was: We have to get home and wash it in case it shrinks = quick get it in the wash before it shrinks!!!  Oh the joys!!

So after we saved the fabric from shrinking (lol) it was in to the computer and on to The Oz Material Girls – Patterns Only, and, lot’s of oohs and ahs later, the pattern was selected!  Then came the questions:  Nanny how long will it take to get to your place?  Can we make it today?  I explained that we would get an email and then we would be able to download the pattern – that it didn’t have to come with the Postman.  Is it here yet Nanny?  Can we have a look at the emails? The enthusiasm was contagious and it wasn’t long before it was there, and with the printer humming, we finally had the pattern!

Mmm Nanny thought of the matching thread but didn’t know we would need elastic – oh well, there is always tomorrow….

I guess I know what Nanny will be doing tomorrow! (and it makes my heart sing!!!)

I hope your heart is singing!

Until next time
Nanny xx

Blogtoberfest – Stack it up!

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Hi!  One thing you have to consider in the Motorhome is SPACE. ( One must have space for the essentials like crafting!!)
I have decided that it’s time to do some ‘sorting’ and rearranging.  Take a look at this shelf – large plates, bread and butter plates, cereal bowls and noodle bowls BUT look at all of that wasted space!  Yes, that is non-slip stuff you can see – the big difference when you change from a caravan, is that now you can HEAR what all those bumps in the road do to your belongings and believe me, it can get quite distracting!  It has been my ‘job’ to quieten things down and I think I have done a fine job!  😉

Anyway, back to the shelf……
I’ve been looking for a plate rack for quite a while now and decided it was time to ‘make one fit’!  So off I went to Big W and found myself a plate stacker that of course we couldn’t even get into the cupboard – curved doors and hinges don’t help! 
There was nothing else to do but take out the shelf and manouver a bit but it still wouldn’t fit so I employed Poppy to make the necessary adjustments ie cut the legs off the #@%$ thing and taa daa – we now have all of the plates stacked and still have half a shelf left.  (I’ll get more craft space yet!!!!)

I can’t wait to get on the road to see how it will travel.  Notice I tidied the non slip up as well?  Looks much better!
Maybe I can fit the mugs and stuff up there as well – mmmm, I’ll think on that a bit!

How are you at saving space?  Have you been doing any sorting lately?

Until next time
Nanny xx

Nanny joins Blogtoberfest – Cajun Chicken Stew

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Hi everyone!
It seems so long since I havebeen here so when I saw messages about Blogtoberfest, I thought I should give it a try!!
I have been busy sewing, quilting and doing a blog on ‘The Oz Material Girl’ called ‘Let’s Sew’.  I have also been trying to improve my health through my food choices.  It has been a great opportunity to try some new recipes.  I just happened upon a Recipe Book in Crazy Clarkes here in NSW called Slow Cookers and for $4.00 I thought a treat (so I bought Slow Cookers  2 as well!!) Why the interest in Slow Cooking?  I have a Dreampot for the Motorhome – it is a” non-electrical indoor and outdoor multifunctional: thermo cooker/rice cooker/yoghurt maker/cooler and bain-marie” and I just haven’t used it enough!! You can check it out here:  www.dreampot.com.au

I tried this Cajun Chicken stew:

1.5kg chicken thigh fillets
1 Tblspn cajun seasoning
2 Tblspns olive oil
11/2 cups good quality chicken stock
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 green capsicum seeded and cut into 1cm pieces
2 stalks celery thinly sliced
1 large onion diced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
1 tspn sugar
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tspn freshly ground black pepper

Toss the chicken and cajun seasoning until evenly coated

Heat the oil and brown chicken 3-4 mins.

Transfer to the slow cooker (or in my case, the Dreampot)

Add all the remaining ingredients, mix together well.

( Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs.)
In the Dreampot inner pot on the stove, I brought it to the boil and kept it boiling for 15mins.  When it had about 3 mins left, I took the small inner pot and added 1 cup of rice and 11/2 cups of hot water and brought it to the boil, let it boil for 1min and then put the lid on and boiled it for another 1-2 mins
I then popped the large inner pot into the Dreampot, sat the small inner pot on top, added the lid and closed the dreampot.
That was it until Dinner time that evening!

Luckily my cooking skills are much better than my photography skills – it was yummo!!

Until next time (that should be tomorrow!!)
Nanny xx

Hair today

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I went to the hairdressers on Friday and as I was sitting there, head back, having my hair washed I thought how good is this??  It was a ‘good’ day, where someone touching my head was a pleasurable experience.

It made me think of my maternal Grandmother, Gran.  I loved to ‘do’ Gran’s hair and Gran loved to have her hair done – even nodded off on occasion!!

The one time I remember really well was when my little brother was born and my Mum was sick, so Gran came down to help out.  I was performing a quite intricate curling of her hair around the comb (well I had seen others do it!!) when my Mum called out to Gran – I pulled the comb, trying to remove it from Gran’s hair but instead, I only succeeded in getting it totally knotted.  Gran was trying to get it out and Mum was calling out so do you know what Gran did? SHE TOOK THE SCISSORS AND CUT THE COMB OUT!!  Can you believe that?? Then Gran quickly wrapped her hair in her hanky, popped it in her apron pocket and we went into Mum.
Can you guess what Mum wanted?  A hanky!!
I’ll get you one” says Gran
“Just give me that one” Mum says.
“Oh no, it’s dirty” says Gran.
On and on it went and there was no way that Gran was going to dob me in to Mum and, at that moment in time, I LOVED my Gran with a passion!!

Well that’s the washing done – now for the massage……..Mmmmmmm

I continued on with my day dreaming and thought about my Mum.  Mum HATES to have her hair done or her head touched – I am thinking as I write this that maybe it is a carry over from being a little girl with curly hair – maybe it hurt when she had to have it done – who knows??  But at that moment I felt really, truly sorry for Mum – that she never experienced the sheer comfort that I was feeling  – my head, that had been aching badly for days, relaxed into the feeling and the stress in my neck and upper back relaxed – I could have done a Gran and gone to sleep, right then, right there, in the middle of the salon, and not cared a damn!

Do you like having your hair done, your head touched??

Until next time
Nanny xx

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